Here In The Sky
by The Sushi Monster
Summary: "There's a moment - a singular breath when she feels like it's just them, dark planets here in the sky, twinkling lights and deep drums - where she feels a magnetic pull." Bonnie and Enzo meet at a rave.


The deep bass is already giving her a headache, but Bonnie smiles when Caroline hands her several neon bracelets. "Please tell me you brought your flask."

Caroline grins, shaking the silver object in front of her face. "Of course. Can't waste our time at the bar for too long - I have grand plans of dancing." Bonnie rolls her eyes, grabs the flask, and takes a long sip. It burns, strong and musky, but her headache dulls for a moment.

"We going inside?" Elena, hands in her jacket pockets, scans the crowd. "It's cold."

Bonnie looks over at Caroline who hooks her arms through both her friends'. "Lets hit it, ladies."

The music is loud and catchy, electronic and in rhythm with the flashing lights. Bonnie can barely hear her friends as they make their way to the bar after checking in their coats. Elena buys their first round of shots - tequila, definitely not Bonnie's favorite - and it's while Bonnie is biting into the lime that Caroline mentions that she invited someone. Bonnie almost chokes. "A date?" Bonnie tosses the slice into her shot glass. "Who?"

Caroline doesn't answer, instead leaning over Bonnie to grab a napkin. As she takes her time cleaning her lips, Bonnie looks for Elena for an answer, but Elena is too busy scanning the crowd again. "Okay, spill - what's going on?"

"Well," says Caroline, and Elena joins her, the two standing side by side, nervous. "You and Jeremy have been broken up for a while now - "

"You invited him?"

Elena raises an eyebrow. "He is my brother." She squeezes Bonnie's upper arm lightly. "It'll be fine. Besides, maybe this means you'll actually dance with a guy for once."

Bonnie shakes off Elena, crossing her arms. "I dance with guys."

Caroline shakes her head, blonde hair catching on her neon necklace. "No, you dance with Matt and Tyler." She takes a step closer when a group of guys move up to the bar behind her. She glances back at them before smiling at Bonnie. "C'mon, Bon. Matt and Tyler are coming so you'll have a buffer." Caroline grins, staring at something behind Bonnie. "And it looks like they brought their new roommate."

"She only likes him because he has an accent," says Elena, a quirk in her lips, waving them over. "Jeremy's with them."

Bonnie, slowly, turns around and has to smile slightly when Tyler picks her up in a huge hug. Matt's hug is a bit more gentle, but still warm and she's grinning now. Even the sight of her ex - he's still hot, still Elena's brother, still not the same boy she fell in love with in high school - makes her warm. Jeremy smiles and Bonnie hugs him, quickly, and Bonnie decides that tonight can still be salvaged.

Behind them is the new roommate. "You must be Enzo," says Elena, shaking his hand. Enzo quickly scans over them, as if absorbing names and faces. "I'm Elena, you already know Caroline, and this is Bonnie." Bonnie nods in his direction and Enzo leans against the bar, something between a smirk and a grin on his face. The sleeves of his navy button-down are rolled up and he adjusts it as Bonnie quickly gives him a once-over.

"Nice to meet you both," he says, and Bonnie bites down on her grin. He notices. "What's so funny?"

Bonnie shakes her head, letting herself smile. "Nothing - Elena just made a joke about accents before you got here." Enzo raises an eyebrow and looks like he wants an explanation, but Caroline cuts him off.

"Alright, I'm not drunk enough - who's buying shots?" Tyler volunteers, Matt hangs back with him, and Caroline directs the rest of them towards a table closer to the dancers. "I'm gonna go the restroom real quick, be right back." Elena decides to join her.

Bonnie is left with Jeremy, standing awkwardly across the table from her, and Enzo, leaning against the wall beside her. When Enzo's phone vibrates, he distracts himself with his text.

"How are you doing?" asks Jeremy, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Elena told me you were thinking of doing grad school next year."

"Yeah," she says, because she really doesn't know what else to say. She loved Jeremy, and she still loves him, but he grew up and she grew up and she decided to avoid him. "For psychology. I think I may want to go into social work."

Jeremy smiles, looking down. Bonnie hears Enzo beside her put his phone away. "You did always want to help people." He looks up at her, a sad smile on his face, and Bonnie feels her heart tug. "I'm glad you're doing okay."

"And you? Still doing art?" she asks, and Bonnie absently knows she should include Enzo into the conversation, but he's just standing quietly, listening. She oddly likes that.

"I had an internship this past summer working at a gallery," he says. "But yeah, still doing art."

Bonnie doesn't know what else to say, and Enzo seems content to letting them stew in awkward silence, but luckily Tyler and Matt return with the shots. "Thank god," she mutters under her breath, and apparently Enzo is close enough to hear her because she hears - but really, she feels because it's so loud and he's standing right next to her - him chuckle.

"Perfect timing," says Jeremy, just as Caroline and Elena return, each of them grabbing a glass. "Who's toasting?"

Bonnie clears her throat. "To senior year," she says, grinning at her friends, "to moving forward," she glances at Jeremy who grins at her, "and entering the real world."

Matt raises his glass. "To senior year!"

They all tap their glasses on the table and throw back the shot. Bonnie winces - it's vodka and it stings - before shaking her head. Beside her, Enzo slides his shot glass into the center of the table, still completely unphased.

"The rum from earlier is kicking in," says Tyler, stretching out his neck and bouncing on his heels.

"Good," says Caroline, grabbing his arm. "We're dancing." Tyler follows her without protest, grinning as she leads them to the center.

Matt chuckles, offering his hand to Bonnie. "Shall we?"

Bonnie bites her lip. "Actually, I think I need another drink first." She nods at Elena and Jeremy. "You guys go ahead, I still have Caroline's flask."

"If you're sure," says Matt, before turning to his roommate. "Enzo, you comin'?"

Enzo, leaning against the wall again, shakes his head. "I'll stay with Bonnie. Like she said - not drunk enough yet." Matt laughs, at them probably, but doesn't say anything further as Elena leads them into the dance floor to join Caroline and Tyler.

Bonnie pulls up a bar stool to their tall table while Enzo stays standing. She positions herself so he's in her eyesight, but she faces the floor. She can pick out Matt and Caroline's heads bobbing along to the music. Taking out the flask from her crossbody purse, she takes a sip, closing her eyes.

"Not a dancing person?" asks Enzo. His breath is warm. He's closer than he was before, but it's just his face so he can lean into her ears. The music changes and everyone screams. Bonnie grimaces and Enzo laughs. "Me neither."

"No, I like dancing," says Bonnie, leaning back slightly to better see him. His face is covered in lines of stubble, dark eyes glittering against the neon lights. He smells of spices - cinnamon and vanilla - and leather, even though he isn't wearing a jacket. Bonnie swallows, slowly, her eyes unable to leave his. "I'm just not - drunk enough."

His jaw clicks and Enzo smiles, eyes bright. "I prefer slow dancing, actually." The smile fades slightly, and Bonnie feels sparks in her stomach. She blinks, then he blinks and leans back. "Well I guess we better get you a drink."

Bonnie wants to protest, tell him she has Caroline's flask, but she always doesn't - she wants Enzo to buy her a drink. So she doesn't say anything as he slips into the crowd; when he returns sometime later, she's finished more than half the flask and he has two glasses.

"What is it?" she asks. She sniffs and frowns, but her heart speeds up. "Bourbon?"

Enzo grins, taking a seat next to her. "The lady knows her alcohol." She's more impressed that he knows her favorite drink. He raises his glass and Bonnie matches him. "To grad students - current and future."

Bonnie pauses before clinking her glass to his. "You're a grad student?"

Enzo nods, taking a sip of his drink. "Business school - management," he says, swirling the amber liquid. "Majored in music in school, but of course - "

"Music doesn't pay the bills." Bonnie shakes her head. "Well, I hope you still - play or sing or whatever."

"Sing and play," he says. He places the glass on the table, leaning against it and facing her. "Guitar mostly."

Bonnie bites back a smile. "Matt and Tyler would find another artist as a new roommate."

"Another?"

"Jeremy lived with them when he was still in high school and when we - " she stops, glancing down at her full glass.

"Dated?" When she glances at him, Enzo grins. "It was pretty obvious from that awkward conversation earlier."

"Yeah, well," says Bonnie, sighing, "it is what it is. Guess that's what I get for dating my best friend's brother." Enzo says nothing in response and Bonnie doesn't mind. Instead, she lifts her glass again. "To growing apart."

Enzo chuckles, deep in chest, and clinks his glass against hers. "To growing up," he says before throwing back the entire drink. Bonnie wants to probe further, but instead she takes a long sip of her own alcohol. She feels warmth pooling her stomach, spreading through her; her fingers tingle.

"I think I may be drunk enough to dance now." Enzo chuckles again and the warmth grows hotter. She slides off her chair, bouncing up, and turns to him. "You coming?" He doesn't say anything at first, and Bonnie worries that he's going to ruin her buzz and say no, but he tilts his head and wordlessly stands, offering his hand. She eyes it, warily. "We're not old people dancing. This is a rave. Not a ballroom."

Enzo rolls his eyes, steps behind her, and gently moves her towards the crowd by her shoulders. Bonnie had lost track of the others a while ago, but Enzo apparently hadn't because she quickly spots Caroline's blonde hair flying behind her as she jumps up and down. Once they're close enough that Elena grins at them, Bonnie turns to face Enzo, already moving to the steady rhythms of the music.

He's tall - taller than her, but if she moved in close enough she could kiss his neck, or his shoulder. He's stiff, though, arms at his sides, head nodding along to the beat and Bonnie wants to laugh. Enzo catches her grinning and rolls his eyes.

Bonnie lifts herself up and moves in. "Are _you_ not drunk enough?" she says into his ear. She ignores that his chest is warm and firm as her arm rubs against it. When he shakes his head, a little quirk in the corner of his lips, Bonnie moves her head back. The music switches, still electronic and remixed, but slightly slower. She lets a her hand rest on his arm and she feels Enzo loosen up. "There you go," she practically yells and even if he doesn't hear her, Bonnie moves to step backward - touching him while already surrounded by too many warm bodies does nothing to keep her cool - but there's a hand on her hip.

"Think I just needed a partner." His voice is barely above a whisper. His lips are not far from her ears and he's smirking with shiny eyes; Bonnie hopes her grin looks more like a smile, her tongue clicking slightly. Her other hand is on his chest and his hands are very light on her waist, as if he's giving her a chance to pull away.

Her hand snakes up to rest on his shoulder while the other one lightly squeezes his bicep. Enzo responds by pulling her closer, his fingers dancing on the small of her back. Her eyes don't waver from his. Bonnie knows that they're not really dancing anymore, more just swaying, but she doesn't really mind. Enzo licks his lips and Bonnie's gaze wavers for a second before she narrows her eyes.

"That was smooth," she says, and it's unlikely he heard her, but he grins anyway. They keep moving, and Bonnie can feel his skin burning through the fabric on him. The song changes again, faster and harsher and the people around them start jumping. Bonnie feels Enzo loosen his grip and she steps back, taking a breath and a beat, her hands on his chest, his arms still around her. He starts to say something - unknown whispers on his lip and tongue - but Bonnie shakes her head.

She pauses, studying the golden reflections in his pupils and the thread of silver in his stubble. Her finger traces his jawline before stopping at his chin. There's a moment - a singular breath when she feels like it's just them, dark planets here in the sky, twinkling lights and deep drums - where she feels a magnetic pull. But Enzo swallows, Bonnie blinks, and she drops her hand at the same time he looks down.

Then Caroline tugs at Bonnie, laughing with hair stuck to her face, and Bonnie grins again, joining her and Matt as they yell out lyrics. Elena twirls her around and Tyler laughs and even when she ends up in front of Jeremy, he grins, matching her move for move. The song melts into the next and Bonnie watches Enzo and Caroline make faces at each other with a smile on her lips and strong tug on her heart.

Later, after Elena is too drunk and Tyler is too hot and Jeremy is too cranky, they head out. While the others go to call for a ride, Bonnie stays back to pick up their coats.

"I believe this may be one of yours." Enzo hands over Caroline's red corduroy jacket and Bonnie lets it hang over her arm with Elena's. "So - "

"You should take me ballroom dancing sometime," says Bonnie before he can say anything else. He blinks, closing his mouth, and Bonnie doesn't let the sinking in her stomach deter her. "I mean - you said you preferred that, and while this is more my thing, it'd only be fair."

Slowly, Enzo smiles, before his face glows. Or maybe Bonnie is drunker than she anticipated. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, love." She feels very sober, especially when the last word leaves his lips.

Bonnie really wants to kiss him, so she must be slightly drunk at least. "So - call me." She knows he doesn't have her number but she trusts him to be resourceful. Enzo raises an eyebrow but just keeps grinning and Bonnie _really_ wants to kiss him.

So, finally, she does. It's soft and light and perfect and not nearly enough. His lips taste like bourbon and salt and his stubble gently grazes her skin. When she pulls back, he doesn't smile. His fingers graze her cheek as he places strands of hair behind her ear. His eyes are dark and deep and Bonnie just wants to watch the subtleties of his expressions flicker between thoughts.

His hand falls away from her face. Bonnie needs to move, to leave, but she feels like she's on fire. The door flies open, gusts of cold air assaulting her, and that gives her the push she needs. Enzo follows her to the group of their friends standing by two cars and she hands back the coats in her arms.

There are goodbyes and see you tomorrows and Caroline and Elena pull her towards a car. Bonnie lets them, watching Enzo watch her.

He smirks and winks at her before getting in his own ride. Bonnie bites back the smile on her lips, but the fire in her stomach dances.


End file.
